Garment holding clip



GARMENT HOLDING CLIP Filed June 6, 1939 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 29, 1941 guano FFEQE GARMENT HOLDING CLIP Lee Oliver, Milford, Conn, assignor to The Connecticut Web and Buckle Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application June 6, 1939, Serial No. 277,579

6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in garment supports, and has particular relation .to garment holding clips.

An object of the invention is to provide a clip for the purpose stated which is adapted to operate on any reasonable thickness of material, adapting itself automatically to either thin or thick material.

Another object is to provide a clip for the purpose stated which is of simple and inexpensive construction; involving but a minimum of parts, which gives a large opening for receiving material to be supported and which comprises a small article of neat and attractive appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a front elevational View of the clip of the invention as applied to a suspender and in use gripping a piece of material;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken as along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an edge elevational view of the clip closed;

Fig. 4 is an edge elevational view of the clip open;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View showing the clip open;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the clip closed;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevational view of the upper portion of the clip with the operating lever broken away and showing the relation of parts when the clip is open, the section being in the plane of line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a similar view but showing the clip closed, the section being substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the front jaw of the clip;

Fig. 10 is a similar view of a lever forming part of the clip; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the rear jaw of the clip.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 together also show the clip in exploded conditionwith the three parts separated to showmore clearly their shape'and cooperative features.

Referring in detail to the drawing the improved clip of the invention comprises but three parts as it includes a front jaw It, a rear jaw l l and an operating lever l2. Jaw It includes a front plate l3 shown as slightly curved longitudinally and provided at its lower end with an inturned toe or gripping portion I l and at its 1ongitudinal edges with flanges or walls l5 and [6 each enlarged toward its upper end and provided with a perforation or opening l'l having a curved upper edge Ila, an upright straight edge and a lower stepped edge l9. Generally spealn'ng the active portions of each of said perforations edges includes the corner or step i8, the surface or edge l9 and the surfiace or edge 23. A lip 21 closes the upper end of the jaw it, and extending above said lip are a pair of stop lugs 22 comprising extensions of the walls It and it, and the purpose of which will appear.

Rear jaw ll comprises a plate portion 23 also slightly curved longitudinally and having at its lower end an inturned toe or gripping portion 211. Side flanges or walls 25 and 25 of the jaw H are enlarged toward their upper ends and are provided with perforations or openings 21 the functioning edge portions of which are, generally speaking, thecorner :or step 23, the edge 29 and the edge 30. These openings are substantially the same shape as openings ll in member ill but are reversed so that the curved edge 21a is the lower edge, the upright edge 29 is on the opposite side from that of edge 28 of opening Ill and the stepped edge 30 is the upper edge. Integral with the back or plate 23 of the jaw H and extending above such jaw is a tape receiving loop 3i adapted to have a suspender or other supporter strap 32 passed therethrough.

Lever i2 is also bent or formed from a single straight piece of metal and is generally U -shaped including a connecting portion 33, arms 34 and 35 and inturned portions or cam lugs 33 on the free end portions of said arms.

The three parts being made up as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are assembled by inserting the walls 25 and 26 of the rear jaw betweenthe walls l5 and it of the front jaw or in other words by arranging the jaws with the walls of the jaw l0 straddling the walls of the jaw ll. This locates the jaws in opposing relation with the toes I 4 and 24 directed toward one another and with the stop lugs 22 of jaw I!) in the rear of the loop 3| of the jaw ll. Additionally the perforations H and 27 are in registration with one another or overlap.

Now the lever i2 is applied and it is arranged with its lugs 36 entering the perforations in the Walls of the jaws whereby the latter are corn nected together for pivotal movement relatively. The parts are then in the relative positions in which they are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8. In

such positions the jaws are closed and the lugs 35 of the lever (see particularly Fig. 8) are disposed crosswise of the perforations resting :on or engaging the edge portions I9 and of the perforations in the walls of the respective jaws. Also, the opposite edges 38 and 39 of these ings 33 engage the upright edges 29 and 20 respectively of openings 21 and l l and by preventing these edges 29 and 20 from moving toward each other retain th jaWS in closed position. The arms of the lever l2 are located at the side edges of the clip with the connecting portion 33 of the leverunder the lower ends of the jaws.

Thus the jaws are locked closed and a portion of a garment may be gripped between them as the piece of material 37 in Figs. 1 and 2. Particularly in Fig. 2 it will be noted that the arms 34 and 35 of the lever being located at the sides of the clip have engaged the material 37 offsetting it at the edges of the clip whereby the material is more securely held. Since the edges of lugs 36 of the lever are against the straight edge portions 29 and 20 of the perforations it 'will be clear that the jaws i6 and H are locked against any casual movement and pressure between the jaws will not open them. Engagement of lugs 36 against the straight edge portions l9 and 35 will limit the backward or inward movement of locking lever l2. 7

To open the clip it is but necessary to swing the lever l2 from the position of Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8 to the position shown in Figs. 4, 5 and '7. As the lever is so swung the opposite sides of lugs 35 press against the rounded corners 23 of the perforations 27 of jaw i l and against the rounded corners 58 of the perforations of the jaw 18 to force them in opposite directions. There is thus a sort of camming action and the jaws are positively forced apart or to open position, and it is noted that the jaws open to acohsiderable eX- tent whereby to be capable of receiving rather thick materials. During this movement the opposite edges of lugs move along the curved edges lid and 21a of the openings ll and Bi. The garment having a portion passed between the jaws, or the latter being manipulated to be disposed about a portion of the garment, the lever is swung back to position at the sides of the clip and the latter tightly holds the garment, the one-piece construction of the lever giving a spring action to grip the cloth at sides of jaws as it slides over to closed position.

As the lever is swung to close the clip the edges of the lugs 35 of the lever move along the curved edges Ella and Zia in the opposite direction and ride against and press against the straight edges 29 and 29 of the jaws l0 and II respectively. It is noted that such edges 29 and 29 are arranged in opposing relation and therefore'it will be clear that as the lever lugs engage such edges and the lever is swung to dispose the lugs' crosswise of the perforations I! and 21 the jaws l0 and H will be forced toward one another to grip the material between them. As the lever reaches closed position or the position occupied by it when the clip is closed the lu s 22 of the jaw i0 engage the rear surface of the loop 3! which is integral withthe jaw H and serve to positively limit movement of the jaws toward one another and thus help to prevent the lever being swung entirely about the lower ends of the jaws. The engagement of the lugs 22 with the jaw i l is clearly shown in- Figs. 3, 6 and 8.

From the above it will be clear that the clip of the invention is free of springs and the like. It comprises but three parts and is readily applied to materials of diiferent thickness. It operates with any reasonable thickness of material adapting itself to either thin or thick material. As the lever reaches final closed position it snaps over the jaws and engages the material at the edges of the clip causingan offset in the material whereby the same will not move edgewise through the clip and thus is securely held. The rear jaw with the loop 31 integral therewith provides a. rigid back which lies against the body of a user of the clip when the latter is in use and thus will not yield but will present a rigid back as the lever pushed home over the ends of the jaws in closing of the clip. In the construction disclosed the jaws are positively, by a cam-like action, moved open and positively moved closed on manipulation of lever H2. The one-piece construction of the back H and loop 3i makes the back rigid so it lies against the body and prevents its buckling or yielding when the lever i2 is pushed down or back to close the clip. In short the rigidity of the back and mobility of the front makes stability when placed on any thickness of material and does not alter the adjustment when used on different thicknesses of material. This construction of clip gives a large opening for insertion of the garment, gives a better grip, and makes a. small neat clip which is shorter and less bulky than other usual constructions.

Having thus set forth the nature of my inven tion, what I claim is:

1. In a garment holding clip, a pair of jaws, a tape receiving loop integral with one of said jaws, spaced perforated side walls on each of said jaws, said jaws arranged with said walls of one jaw overlapping with those of the other jaw and with their perforations partly registering, a lever including cam lugs of greater width than thickness passing through the perforations in said overlapping walls forming a pivotal connection between said jaws and thereby connecting said jaws for pivotal relative movements, said lever being swingable from a position at the side of one of said jaws to a, position extending forwardly thereof, and the side walls of said perforations having cam surfaces cooperating with said lugs to force the jaws toward one another as the lever is moved to the first mentioned position and to force the jaws apart as said lever is moved to the second of said positions.

2. In a garment holding clip, a three piece construction comprising a pair of jaws and a lever, a tape receiving loop integral with one of said jaws, perforated side walls on each of said jaws, said jaws arranged with the walls of one overlapping the walls of the other, substantially rectangular lugs on said lever entering said perforations and forming a pivot between the jaws, and the edges of said perforations having cam surf-aces cooperating with said lugs to force the jaws apart and toward one another as said lever is moved back and forth through an arc of a circle.

3. In a garment holding clip, a pair of jaws, spaced perforated side walls on each of said jaws, said jaw a ra ged with the walls of one overlapping the walls of the other and with their perforations partly in registration, the perforations in the walls of one of said jaws having a curved edge and a straight and a stepped edge connected to the opposite ends thereof and those in the Walls of the other jaw being of a similar shape but reversed in respect to the other perforations, a substantially U-shaped lever, inwardly directed lugs on the free end portions of the arms of said lever disposed in the perforations in said overlapping walls and forming a pivot for said jaws for relative pivotal movement, said lugs being transversely substantially rectangular and movable with said lever, said lever swingable from a position straddling said jaws to a position extending forwardly of one of them, said lugs located to act against opposed edge portions of the perforations of the walls of the respective jaws to force the latter apart as the lever is moved to the second of said positions and to act against other opposed pairs of edge portions of said perforations to positively force said jaws toward one another as the lever is moved to the first of said positions.

4. In a garment holding clip, a three piece construction comprising a pair of jaws and a lever, a tape receiving loop integral with one of said jaws, perforated side walls on each of said jaws, said jaws arranged with the perforated walls of one overlapping with those of the other, cam lugs on said lever entering said perforations and forming a pivot connecting the jaws, the edges of said perforations having cam surfaces cooperating with said lugs to positively move the jaws apart and toward one another as said lever is moved back and forth through an arc, and stop lugs on one of said jaws and arranged to engage the other of said jaws as they reach a closed position to limit movement of the jaws toward one another and to prevent an overthrow of said lever.

5. In a garment holding clip, a three piece construction comprising a pair of jaws and a U-shaped lever, perforated side walls on each of said jaws toward the upper ends of the latter, said walls of one jaw overlapping with those of the other jaw, said lever straddling said jaws,

cam lugs on said lever entering said perforations and forming a pivot connecting the jaws toward their upper ends, said lever movable from a position looped about the lower ends of said jaws to a position extending forwardly thereof, the edges of said perforations having surfaces cooperating with said lugs to force said jaws to open positions with their lower ends apart to receive a portion of a garment between them by movement of the lever to the second of its said positions, and by movement of said lever to the first of said positions to force said jaws closed to have their said lower ends grip th garment, and said lever when in the first of said positions while the clip is attached to a garment having its arms engaging the garment and offsetting it at the edges of the clip.

6. In a garment holding clip, a three piece construction comprising a pair of jaws and a U- shaped lever, a tape receiving loop integral with and extending above one of said jaws, perforated side walls on each of said jaws toward the upper ends of the latter, said walls of one jaw overlapping with those of the other jaw, said lever straddling said jaws, cam lugs on said lever entering said perforations and forming a pivot connecting said jaws, said lever movable from a position looped about the lower ends of said jaws to a position extending forwardly thereof, the edges of said perforations having cam surfaces cooperating with the lugs as the lever is moved to the second of said positions to force said jaws to open positions with their lower ends apart to receive a portion of a garment, and cooperating with said cam lugs as the lever is moved to the first of said positions to force said jaws closed to grip the garment portion, and said lever when in said first position while the clip is attached to a garment having its arms engaging the garmerit and offsetting its along the edges of the clip.

LEE OLIVER 

